DUCKS HOST No. 3 ARIZONA, ARIZONA STATE IN CRUCIAL SLATE OF GAMES THIS WEEK

The University of Oregon (12-2, 1-0) hosts third-ranked Arizona (14-0, 2-0) and Arizona State (13-2, 2-0) at Matthew Knight Arena this week in Eugene, Ore. Tip-time for Thursday night’s Arizona game is slated for 6:05 p.m. on ESPN2. The Pac-12 Network will carry Sunday’s Arizona State contest at 6 p.m.

Oregon enters the week after knocking off its rival, Oregon State, in Corvallis, Ore., on Sunday (Jan. 6). The Ducks’ 79-66 victory came after the team trailed by six at halftime (34-28); it was their first win of the year when trailing at the break and just the third time all season they have trailed heading into the locker rooms.

Arizona is ranked third in the ESPN/USA Today Poll and the AP lists the Wildcats in the fourth slot. Arizona topped Colorado and Utah last week in its Pac-12 season openers. Meanwhile, Arizona State edged Utah in overtime and dealt Colorado a nine-point loss to start its Pac-12 slate.

Oregon is unbeaten at Matthew Knight Arena this season. The Ducks’ 56-43 victory over Nevada on Dec. 31 moved its home record to a perfect 10-0 in 2012-13. The Ducks are off to their best start at Matthew Knight Arena in school history and best start at any home facility since 2001-02, when they finished the year a perfect 16-0 at McArthur Court.

The Ducks have won 16 consecutive games at Matthew Knight Arena dating back to last season. Their last home loss came at the hands of Oregon State, 76-71, on Jan. 29, 2012. Oregon won six-straight home games to conclude last season and its 16-game home winning streak ranks 10th in the nation. The Ducks have won this year’s 10 home games by an average of 23.5 points, winning every game by double-digits. Five of the 10 wins have come by at least 20 points, including victories by 41 and 52 points. Oregon is 43-11 at home under Dana Altman and 27-3 in the last two years.

Current Home-Court Winning Streaks

1. Syracuse33

2. Kansas30

3. South Dakota State23

4. Colorado State22

5. Southern Mississippi20

6. Marquette18

7. Detroit17

Indiana17

Notre Dame17

10. Oregon16

RANKED TEAMS AN UNCOMMON SIGHT AT MATTHEW KNIGHT ARENA

Oregon’s game against third-ranked Arizona marks just the second time a ranked team has come to play the Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon beat No. 20 Washington 81-76 on Feb. 5, 2011 in the first matchup against a ranked team at MKA. Arizona is the highest-ranked opponent the Ducks have played since losing to No. 1 Duke, 98-71, at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore., on Nov. 27, 2010. Oregon is 1-1 against ranked teams this season with a win over No. 18 UNLV on Nov. 23 and a 77-66 loss to No. 22 Cincinnati in Las Vegas the next night. Oregon last beat a team ranked in the top five on Jan. 6, 2007, when the Ducks handed No. 5 UCLA a 68-66 defeat at McArthur Court.

Ahmad Starks had 22 points, and Roberto Nelson 18 for Oregon State (10-4).

Dotson, a freshman guard, scored seven points in Oregon’s 15-2 run to open the second half, helping the Ducks turn the tide and take a 43-36 lead.

Oregon State came right back, with Devon Collier scoring seven consecutive points to tie the game.

The Beavers took a 47-46 lead on Starks’ two free throws with 11:02 remaining.

But Oregon took the momentum for good, scoring nine straight points over 3 1/2 minutes. Arsalan Kazemi’s basket off an offensive rebound gave the Ducks a 55-47 lead with 7:34 remaining.

Oregon State got no closer than five after that.

FRESHMAN DOTSON SCORES CAREER-HIGH 21 POINTS TO BURY BEAVERS

Freshman standout Damyean Dotson, who leads Oregon in scoring this season (11.8 ppg), tallied a career-high 21 points in UO’s win at Oregon State on Sunday. He surpassed his previous career high of 20 points which he set on Nov. 23 in Las Vegas, Nev., against UNLV.

FIVE DUCKS ARE NOW AVERAGING DOUBLE-FIGURES IN SCORING CATEGORY

A mix of three seniors and two freshmen are carrying the offensive load for Oregon this season, each of them averaging at least 10 points per game. Seniors Tony Woods (10.8 ppg), Carlos Emory (10.3 ppg) and E.J. Singler (10.2 ppg) pace the Ducks upperclassmen, while freshman Damyean Dotson’s 11.8 points per game leads the team and fellow freshman Dominic Artis checks in with 10.1 ppg.

KAZEMI JUST THREE POINTS AWAY FROM 1,300-MARK

Oregon senior forward Arsalan Kazemi scored eight points in the Ducks’ 79-66 victory over Oregon State on Sunday night in Corvallis. His eight points brought him to 1,297 for his career, which includes his three years at Rice University.

SINGLER NEARING LEUNEN, BRANDON ON ALL-TIME SCORING LIST

Senior E.J. Singler posted 15 points in Oregon’s 13-point victory over Oregon State in Corvallis. The 15 points were his second-highest output of the season and the most points he has scored since dropping 22 at home against Vanderbilt on Nov. 16. Singler now has 1,257 points in his career at Oregon and needs just three points to pass Maarty Leunen (1,259 points) for 18th and seven points to pass Terrell Brandon (1,263 points) for 17th on the Ducks’ all-time scoring list.

Oregon’s 56-43 win over Nevada on Dec. 31 at Matthew Knight Arena marked the fifth time this season that the Ducks have held an opponent under 50 points during a game. The five games is the most by a Duck team in 30 years and the most since the 1982-83 team held seven opponents to less than 50 points. Overall, dating back to the 1938-39 National Championship team, the five sub-50 point efforts by Ducks’ opponents ranks 15th all-time, with 13 of the 15 coming before the 1960-61 season.

The Ducks are averaging 9.8 steals per game this season (137 total), which leads the Pac-12 by nearly two steals per game.

SchoolGNo.Avg/Gm

Oregon141379.8

UCLA151228.1

Arizona141077.6

Oregon State141027.3

Arizona State151087.2

Colorado14987.0

Stanford15966.4

USC15895.9

Utah14725.1

California14684.9

Washington St.14614.4

Washington14614.4

KAZEMI, ARTIS PACE CONFERENCE IN STEALS; KAZEMI THIRD IN REBOUNDING

Senior Arsalan Kazemi enters Thursday averaging 2.8 steals per game, which leads the Pac-12 and ranks in the top-20 nationally. Freshman Dominic Artis comes into the game with 2.0 steals per contest, good enough for fourth place in the conference. Additionally, Kazemi is averaging 9.8 rebounds per game, which ranks third in the Pac-12.